Funding options

There are several potential pathways by which, you may be able to access our services. Click on each of the options below to find more information.

Private / Medicare consultations

Standard optometry services are covered under Medicare, and for some of our patients, this will be the most appropriate pathway to access routine eye care and vision checks. If your goal is to check that your eyes are healthy and that your vision level is normal / stable, this may be the most appropriate option for you.

  • We charge $300 for an eye examination, which usually takes between 45-60 minutes. Some of this cost can usually be claimed back from Medicare. This covers face-to-face time, but also essential non face-to-face components required to ensure best care. These often include:

    • Clinical administration

    • Note-taking and documentation

    • Follow-up communication with other stakeholders

    • Onward referral for medical support where necessary

  • You do not need a referral to access our service, though we always welcome referrals from fellow optometrists, medical practitioners, and allied health professionals and like to take a collaborative approach to supporting our patients. A referral from your regular optometrist can afford access to a slightly higher Medicare rebate.

NDIS Funding

For some individuals, particularly those with disability-related vision or visual processing difficulties, it may be appropriate to access this service using NDIS funding.

Our functional vision assessments are designed to support participation in daily activities, including learning, communication, behaviour, mobility, and independence. As such, they may align with Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living supports where there is a clear link to a participant’s NDIS goals.

Further information for support coordinators / plan managers can be found here.

  • You can choose to use your NDIS funding if the service is directly related to your goals and supports your daily functioning. If you are unsure, we are happy to provide information to assist you in making this decision.

  • A good first step is to discuss this service with them. We have created resources to help explain how functional vision assessments fit within the NDIS, including a brief information flyer and a sample email.

    You are welcome to share these with your support coordinator or plan manager to assist in determining whether this service is appropriate for your plan

  • NDIS funding is not guaranteed and depends on your individual plan, goals, and circumstances. This service may be considered appropriate where there is a clear link between functional vision and your daily living, participation, or therapy outcomes.

  • No. This is not a routine eye examination. A functional vision assessment looks at how vision is used in everyday activities and how it may be impacting areas such as learning, behaviour, communication, and independence.

  • If your goals relate to areas such as communication, learning, behaviour, independence, or participation, and vision may be impacting these, this service may be relevant. We can provide information to help you and your support team determine suitability.

  • If you have a support coordinator or plan manager, we recommend discussing the service with them first. You can share the information resources we provide, which explain how functional vision assessments align with NDIS supports. You can use this email template and provide our 2-page description of how our service aligns with NDIS.

  • Yes. This service is designed to complement other supports such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, and behaviour support by identifying visual barriers that may be affecting progress.

    We regularly collaborate with other allied health professionals regarding how vision differences might be impacting on access to therapies and what adjustments should be made to best ensure full access.

    We welcome our clients’ own speech pathologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and behaviour specialists to accompany them to our sessions. Bringing your regular therapists along to an appointment allows us to collaborate in real-time over how best to accommodate a person’s vision differences. As an added bonus, having a familiar face in the room, can make the experience a lot less scary for little people and some bigger people too!

  • We are happy to help you understand the differences and decide which option is most appropriate for your situation.

  • Yes. We provide clear, detailed reports that outline functional impact, recommendations, and how the service relates to NDIS goals and capacity building supports.

  • If you are unsure whether this service can be accessed through your NDIS plan, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to provide further information to support your discussion with your coordinator or plan manager.

    Our focus is always on ensuring that services are appropriate, transparent, and aligned with your individual needs and goals.

Private health funds

Most health insurance extras packages include benefits for optical. If you purchase glasses from us, you will be able to claim some of the cost back from your health fund optical extras. We are happy to provide you with a quote prior to purchase, so you can clarify exactly what you will be able to claim back from your health fund.

For support coordinators / plan managers

Thank you for your interest in our service. While optometry is largely funded through Medicare, our service is rather different and for many of the people we support, we believe that our service aligns with NDIS Capacity Building - Improved Daily Living. We regularly work closely with other allied health NDIS providers to tailor support to participants with vision differences. We have created the following resources to help inform the decision regarding whether our service aligns with NDIS for your participants:

  • A two-page resource, outlining the service we provide, when our service might be useful, how the service aligns with NDIS and supports participant goals, and the potential benefits to participants of funding this service.

  • We can offer an initial functional vision assessment package; see here for further details.

  • We can provide sample reports. Please email us to request this.

A man is sitting in the optometrist's chair, in the optometrist's office. The optometrist is sitting in front and to his left. The optometrist is holding up a picture card for him to look towards.